self, and that was for medicine--for the
discovering and administering of useful family medicines; nay, she had
herself decocted a certain elixir from nine bitter herbs, which Henrik
declared would be very serviceable in sending people to the other world.
Louise was no way disturbed by all this, for she did not allow herself
to be annoyed by remarks.

She prized, enjoyed, and sought, above all things, after "the right;"
but she also set a high value on "respectability" and "property," and
seemed to think that these were hers of course. She had the excellent
peculiarity of never undertaking anything that she could not creditably
get through with; but she had a great opinion of her own ability, in
which her family participated, although they sometimes attempted to set
her down. In the mean time she was in many instances the adviser and
support of the family; and she had a real genius for the mighty
department of housekeeping.

The parents called her, with a certain satisfaction--the father with a
secret pride--"our eldest daughter." The sisters styled her rather
waggishly "our eldest sister," and sometimes simply "our eldest;" and
"our eldest" knew exceedingly well how to regard her own dignity in
respect to rank and priority. Beyond this, she had a high idea of the
value of woman.

Louise had an album, in which all her friends and acquaintance had
written down their thoughts or those of others. It was remarkable what a
mass of morality this book contained.

We fear that our readers may be somewhat weary of hearing the names of
Sara, Louise, Eva, Leonore, Petrea, Gabriele, repeated so often one
after another, and we are very sorry that we find it unavoidable yet
once more to present the whole array in connexion with Louise. But we
will see what little variety we can make by taking them at hap-hazard,
and therefore now steps forward

PETREA.

We are all of us somewhat related to chaos; Petrea was very closely so.
Momentary bursts of light and long periods of confusion alternated in
her. There was a great dissimilarity between Louise and Petrea. While
Louise required six drawers and more to contain her possessions, there
needed scarcely half a one for the whole wardrobe of Petrea; and this
said wardrobe too was always in such an ill-conditioned case, that it
was, according to Louise, quite lamentable, and she not unfrequently
lent a helping hand to its repair. Petrea tore her things, and gave away
without bounds o